The Toronto Blue Jays might be 30-28 as of this writing, but considering they have MLB's fifth-highest luxury tax payroll per Spotrac, it feels as if they should be better than a team scrapping for a Wild Card berth in a weak American League. Plays like what we just saw from George Springer might show why the Jays are where they are right now.
Alejandro Kirk doubled to turn what was a 3-1 deficit to 3-2, while also giving the Jays a prime opportunity to tie or take the lead, but Springer, for reasons only he can explain, chose to jump on third base repeatedly after making it there easily, and got tagged out by Max Schuemann while mid-air.
This is a play I have never seen before, and would bet I will never see again.
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George Springer committed the most inexcusable out on the base paths in quite some time
There's simply no explanation for this that'd ever make sense. I have no idea what caused Springer to hop up and down on third base as many times as he did, and he could have cost his team dearly.
This out was the third out of the fifth inning, and the Jays were trailing by one run. Now, Addison Barger's massive three-run homer in the eighth inning gave the Blue Jays the lead, and they've only built on it since, but can you imagine if the Jays had lost this game?
This Jays team, while above .500, has had a tough time scoring runs, even if they've been more dynamic offensively this weekend against this lackluster A's pitching staff. The last thing they can afford to do is run into outs on the bases, especially in such a careless fashion. Springer, a veteran in his 12th season, ought to know better, too.
For the Blue Jays to find their way into the postseason, let alone make a mark in October, they're going to need to play fundamentally sound baseball. Gaffes like these, while funny in the moment, are the opposite of fundamental. This mental error could have cost the Jays the game, and that could have come back to bite them in what shapes up to be an extremely close AL Wild Card race. The fact that it more than likely will not after this electric comeback does not excuse Springer in the slightest.